In my series of articles on side hustles and learning how to grow them, I break down an individual hustle for people who want to augment their income but need some additional information. The overview will include the fundamentals of the hustle, how to get into it, and a breakdown of my GROWTH metrics. Not every hustle covered will be ideal for you, but it may help you find out more information before you take the dive. I’ve covered a list of lucrative side hustles and how to turn your side hustle into a full-time endeavor. If you want an additional push, take my 30 day side hustle challenge now!
What Is Made-To-Order Sculpting Or Painting?
Made-to-order sculpting and painting is exactly like it sounds – in other words, an artist’s dream. You do your sculpting or painting project as specific and detailed custom orders for your customers. There are tons of ways to go about this, and sculpting and painting aren’t the only niche suited for it. Anything you can make or build can be done on a per order basis, to bring in extra income.
Who Can Get Started With This?
Almost anybody can start doing this. If you’re skilled at sculpting, painting, or some craft, then you’re ready to go. Unfortunately, you will need whatever the basic equipment is, and you’ll definitely need to know what you’re doing. You probably won’t find success and happy customers if you start this while you’re still a novice.
If you still find yourself in novice territory, take your time. Build your skills, enjoy your pastime, and one day you might be able to do it. Don’t rush it.
Why Should You Make To Order Sculptures Or Paintings?
The why, in this case, is quite simple. Do you like doing it? If so, that’s enough. This can give you can excuse to do more of what you love, and it can also cover expenses related to your hobbies and passion projects. In other words, do it if you want to make some extra cash while doing something you genuinely enjoy.
When Is A Good Time To Start These Projects?
Honestly, any time is a great opportunity to start. As long as you have the skills and equipment, as I said earlier, then you’re good to go. Alternatively, bide your time and hone your craft until you’re ready to step into this arena.
Where Can You Start This Side Hustle?
There are usually places and communities where you can sell your product locally. That is a nice opportunity, and a good place to start if you’re interested. Another option is to start selling your products online and begin taking orders there.
Etsy
I’m sure you’ve heard of Etsy before. If this is something you’re interested in doing, then opening an Etsy storefront may be the best first step if you want to sell online!
GROWTH
Next up, we’re going over the GROWTH metrics behind made-to-order crafts. These include gains, ROI, obtainability, workability, time required, and general health. These aren’t the only things you can consider, as there are many specifics to your personal situation I can’t account for. However, this will go over the common truths with building crafts to order and give you what you need to know in order to make the best decision about starting this side hustle successfully.
Gains
First up is gains, or the potential income you can get out of this. Depending on what exactly you do, you can make some substantial profit here. However, with crafts like sculpting or painting, the cost of materials isn’t what you really need to worry about – it’s the time required. So, the money is solid, but the amount of work you put into each item will be considerable. In other words, this is some nice money on the side, doing something you love, but it will be hard to replace your day job this way.
ROI
I have nothing negative to say about the return on your investment. Even though this probably started as a hobby, you can certainly recoup equipment costs in no time flat. Again, the cost of goods usually isn’t the issue with this side hustle.
Obtainability
This category is more about the realism aspect. How easy is it for most people to achieve? I’ll give building/creating things to order flying colors here. It’s not hard to make this hustle cover the costs of the hobby and give you some extra change. However, if this is something that you want to turn into a full-time income, then you’ll have an uphill battle.
Workability
Workability, in other words flexibility, is another aspect I’ll give my stamp of approval on. It’s flexibile, for sure. You can do it, especially online, during odd hours as you’re available. Selling locally, at events, might be a bit less flexible, but it’s usually during non-standard work hours. All-in-all, this is fairly easy to fit into most schedules, especially since you probably already partake extensively.
Time Required
Again, we’re back to the major issue. The time required is all over the place based on the niche, but you can expect this to span from just a handful of hours to days or weeks of hard work. Usually, it’s not the best way to get paid for the total amount you work. As you gain experience, if you’re dedicated to turning this into a business, you may figure out useful hacks to help you get there. However, the time sink for this side hustle is the main negative for it.
Health
The overall health of this side hustle is fine. As long as people have some discretionary money, they’ll want custom projects for themselves or as a gift.
Other Made-To-Order Projects
There are a lot of other things you can create or build to order for people. Let’s dive into a few examples, although you can find a demand for this with almost every craft you can think of!
Model kits
That’s right, this is one you may’ve never considered. There is a huge demand for models, and people like models for different things. Many people want pre-built and pre-painted models for the pure shelf presence they possess. Alternatively, they may not like the “building” process and instead want it pre-built so that they can paint it to their preference. Either way, there is a surprising market for this.
Smithing
Smithing, or metalworking in general, is pretty popular these days. Lots of people love small metal pieces – jewelry, ornaments, and things like that – and are willing to pay a decent amount for a custom product.
Woodworking
Woodworking, like smithing, is another popular request. If you’re good with your hands and have some creative ideas people may like, this could be up your alley!
Don’t Feel Obligated
Lastly, I want to say that you shouldn’t feel obligated to start a side hustle doing something you already love. Forcing yourself into that situation can make you hate something you once enjoyed thoroughly. Do some thinking and decide for yourself if you really want to build something to order in a niche you have a passion for. That passion is a nice thing, but when you turn it into another job you may end up regretting it.
Conclusion
Hopefully this had everything you needed to decide if sculpting, painting, or making anything else to order is the right side hustle for you. If you have tips of your own, let us know in the comments.
For more content like this, and a free budgeting template and financial goals worksheet, be sure to sign up for the Bitter to Richer newsletter!
